Kobolds may be tiny dragons but their appetites for glory and recognition of their magnificence are of a similar size. But there are many, many kobolds so what happens on a world where kobolds rise to power, whether under the wings of the draconic gods or on their own? This is a vision of a kobold world - but this could be any twitchy, energetic creatures.
The big hook for kobold high culture is the house of cards. They are the worst aspects of hyper-growth nonsense with a brick on the accelerator. Every angle has been leveraged so they can keep going, they are the epitome of 'succeed or die trying'.
The main drivers for kobold culture in its full flower are
1. a drive for glory, that they may be recognised and remembered
2. a visual culture: monument building, wearing their identity and achievements
3. a scarcity mentality: creating a tendency to action and short-horizon thinking
First of these is the drive for glory. Under the pressure of their teeming hordes, kobolds find themselves fighting for scraps constantly. This creates a tension between two aspects - the cooperation needed to survive in a place where the bio-sphere cannot sustain them naturally and the drive to gamble the cheap coin of their worthless tomorrrows for a shot at glory today and immortality in legend.
d6 strands of 'live fast, die hard' - roll on this for the ethos of the kobold group you have encountered.
1. Life is cheap - this group is constructing something large and hazardous with no precautions. As they are encountered some significant part of it gets out of control, without assistance there is about to be a mass casualty event.
2. Live each day like your last - spoils have been divided, rarities are being consumed and the kobolds are having a revel. All are welcome to join.
3. Risk is glorious - they are engaged in a displays of derring do, and loudly spiting others as cowards - running ledges, leaping gaps, tossing knives. They are amenable to undertaking any suitable risk just now.
4. Duel for your honour - this group is feeling touchy and any but the most careful respect will lead to death-duels. The group as a whole will enforce the one-on-one duels but will respect the victory of a fair win. The only down side is the over-powered weaponry they are dragging about.
5. Sacrifice to achieve the impossible - walking-dead kobolds are off to do something. They wear their funeral shrouds as they have already been waked and must succeed in their task to be readmitted to society. This may be a bunch of exiles who are being fed to a monster for their misdeeds or it could be a rear-guard off to stall a foe while their community gets away.
6. Live forever in legend - this bunch is erecting a monument to the glorious achievement they have just won. As with all kobold monuments, it is also the grave marker of all the kobolds who died in the attempt. The front piece will display all the dead and their deeds.
Throughout it all, the kobolds are fractious all the way down - as the old saying goes "Me and my clutchmate against my clanmates, my clutchmates and clanmates against other kobolds, all kobolds against the world."
With so many kobolds around it is important for people to know who is who and the easiest way to do that is make it obvious on first glance. There is no point in building hoards as gold is no use when you are dead - spend it while you have it.
d12 Manifestations of High Kobold visual culture in personal wear
1. Jaw-ful of gems - fangs replaced with cut gem-stones
2. Deeds carved on scales
3. Full set of fitted bracelets, gorgets and torcs etched with text
4. A set of hard, heavy rings that leave their signature printed into whatever they strike
5. Pectoral carved with an icon of its greatest deed
6. Fan-like back-piece along spine (spinosaurus sail) painted with great deeds
7. Fan-like back plate that opens like peacocks tail, perforated so that light casts a shadow story
8. Resized loot - ill-fitting but ancient garments; speak to tomb-diving success
9. Two smaller kobolds that follow with a banner that proclaims their deeds
10. Another kobold that carries around their carved honour-staff
11. An etched wheel that it pulls behind it that leaves a print of its deeds in the dirt
12. Fancy headpiece carved to look like a defeated foe
Scarcity mentality. Whether the world was always poor or whether it was ruined afterwards, there is little here and competition for the scraps is fierce. Everyone knows you can live and die as a mushroom farmer, scrabbling in the same corner of the same cave until they throw your bones in the mulch too.
Stuff is expensive, labor is cheap. No matter how hazardous the idea, there are kobolds desperate enough to volunteer.
This manifests as a very high appetite for risk - whats the worst that could happen? Die and be spared this miserable place? In practice this makes for a stratified society - the calcified priesthood gathered around the draconic gods - present or not, who take no action to risk their positions. The kings sit uneasily on their thrones, watching the glorious deeds of champions and pretenders to try and use them usefully before they become a direct threat to them. Beaneath the kings and their immediate court of todays legends is a roiling tumble of tomorrows would-be heroes.
d8 - Who is this kobold and what is their plan?
1. The monster hunter - they have learned of a great beast, a terror, a thing of legend to test their cunning and skill against. When they bring home trophies to mark this great kill, they will be legend.
2. The tomb cracker - the true test of greatness is to match wits with the ancients; brave their traps and curses, break their seals and wrench their treasures from their long forgotten vaults.
3. The demon summoner - tried to sell their soul for glory but the demon they summoned got cross and refused 'such cheap coin'. Infuriated, they founded demonologist school and are searching the planes for the same demon to capture them and steal their body.
4. The blood warrior - found a rift into hell. Now they plan to go make their fortune as a mercenary in the Blood War and bring home an infernal war machine.
5. The moon biter - is going to write their name on the moon but first they need to raid the dragons graveyard to make themselves a means to fly there.
6. The monument builder - has a plan for a great work that will stand forever but needs materials, needs his rivals assassinated, their materials taken for his great design - and needs protection from his other rivals trying to do the same to him.
7. The visionary - needs to venture into the wastes to find the last stands of a hallucinogenic plant to inspire the writing of their great work that will live forever in the sagas of the people.
8. The forge whisperer - has acquired a line on lost craft secrets and plans to forge a weapon to split the stars, but needs to relight the cold forges in the hearts of the mountains, possibly after dealing with the dwarves or fire-giants who live there.
Lastly; d12 - how serious is this plan?
1-6 - big dreams - as yet, nothing to show this kobold has any chance of pulling off their plan.
7-9 - not just talking - they look like they have done more than just talk, maybe they have a shot at success.
10-11 - credible contender - seems like the plan is serious and they have made some major moves to make it happen.
12 - the next big thing - you meet them as they approach the final stage: soon, all shall know their name!
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